How to Freeze Peas

More photos and a PDF print
version coming

If you like frozen peas in the
winter, just imagine how good it would taste if you had picked a bag yourself and then
quickly froze it at home! It is also one of the simplest ways to put up a
vegetable for the winter. Here's how to do it, complete instructions in easy steps and
completely illustrated. The peas will taste MUCH better than anything
you've ever had from a store.

Directions for Freezing peas

Ingredients and Equipment

fresh peas - any
quantity. I figure one handful per serving.

Vacuum food sealer or "ziploc"
type freezer bags (the freezer bag version is heavier and protects
better against freezer burn.

1 Large pot of boiling water

2 large bowls, one filled with cold water
and ice.

1 sharp knife

Instructions

Step 1 - Get yer peas!

This is the most
important step! You need peas that are FRESH and crisp. Limp, old
peas will make nasty tasting frozen peas. Guests will probably throw them
at you.. Select filled but tender, firm, crisp peas. Remove and discard any
soft, diseased, spotted and rusty pods.

Peas are of the best
quality when they are fully expanded but immature, before they become hard and
starchy. Peas should be picked immediately before cooking because their quality,
especially sweetness (like that of sweet corn), deteriorates rapidly. FYI, the
pods on the lower portion of the plant mature earliest. If there is a delay
between harvesting and freezing, put it in the refrigerator or put ice on it.
And don't use peas that are old, overripe, starchy or have leathery, wrinkled
pods.

How many peas and where to get them

You can grow your own, pick your own, or buy them at the grocery store. About 14 pounds
of peas makes 7 quart jars; or 9 pounds is needed per 9 pints. A
bushel, which produces anywhere from 13 to 20 quarts, weighs 30 pounds. That
works out to an average of 2 pounds
of peas per finished quart jar.

Start with fresh peas - as fresh as you can get.

Step 2 - Wash the peas!

I'm sure you can figure out how to rinse the pea pods in plain
cold water.
Since the peas are secure in the pods, this step isn't really necessary,
unless the pods are very muddy or dirty or they are edible-podded peas
(snow peas, snap peas, sugar snaps, managetout).

Step 3 -Hull the peas

I
find it easiest to just grab the stem end, and press my thumbnail into the seam,
squeezing the pod gently. It usually opens right up, and I can use a
finger to push the peas out.
Obviously, this step is unnecessary for edible-podded peas like snap peas.
Just snap off the tips and pull the "strings" off. Don't fret if you don't find
any strings modern varieties are fairly stringless.

Step 4 - Get the pots ready

Get the
pot of boiling water ready (about
2/3 filled) and a LARGE bowl with ice and cold water.

Step 5 - Blanch the peas.

All fruits and vegetables contain enzymes and bacteria
that, over time, break down the destroy nutrients and change the color,
flavor, and texture of food during frozen storage. peas requires a brief
heat treatment, called blanching, in boiling water or steam, to
destroy the enzymes before freezing. Blanching times for peas is 1 and a
half
minutes (90 seconds) - the duration is just long enough to stop the action of
the enzymes and kill the bacteria.

Begin counting the blanching time as soon as
you place the peas in the boiling water. Cover the kettle and boil at a
high temperature for the required length of time. You may use the same
blanching water several times (up to 5). Be sure to add more hot water
from the tap from time to time to keep the water level at the required
height.

Step 6 - Cool the peas

Cool peas immediately in ice water. Drain
the peas thoroughly (this shouldn't take more than a minute).

After vegetables are blanched, cool them
quickly to prevent overcooking. Plunge the peas into a large quantity of
ice-cold water (I keep adding more ice to it). A good rule of thumb: Cool
for the same amount of time as the blanch step. For instance, if you
blanch sweet peas for 90 seconds, then cool in ice water for at least 90
seconds.

Drain thoroughly.

Step 7 - Bag the peas

I love the FoodSavers (see
this page for more information) with their vacuum
sealing! I am not paid by them, but these things really work.
If you don't have one, ziploc bags work, too, but it is hard to get as
much air out of the bags. remove the air to prevent drying and freezer
burn. TIP: If you don't own a vacuum food sealer to freeze foods, place
food in a Ziploc bags, zip the top shut but leave enough space to insert the
tip of a soda straw. When straw is in place, remove air by sucking the air
out. To remove straw, press straw closed where inserted and finish pressing
the bag closed as you remove straw.

Step 8 - Done!

Pop them into the freezer, on the quick
freeze shelf, if you have one!

Freezing keeps greens safe to eat almost
indefinitely, but the recommended maximum storage time of 12 months is best for taste
and quality. The quality of the frozen greens is maintained best in a very cold
freezer (deep freezer), and one that keeps them frozen completely with no thaw
cycles. Excluding any air from inside the bags which leads to freezer burn, by
using vacuum-sealed bags, is also important to maintaining quality

Tips:

Harvest early in the morning, especially if the
weather is hot, to get peak flavor.

Harvest the peas at its peak maturity (firm, straight, not lumpy)

Process promptly after harvesting, or keep
cooled in the fridge or with ice until then.

Frequently Asked Questions

I've frozen peas but they seem so bland, starchy or rubbery after being cooked. Any
idea why?

Generally, that means the peas were either old to being with, or they were
overcooked. It only takes 90 seconds to blanch the peas, then plunge
them immediately into ice water.

How long can they be frozen?

It depends upon how cold is your freezer and how you packed them.
Colder (deep freezes) are better than frost free compartments, which
actually cycle above freezing (that's how they melt the ice). Vacuum
packing results in longer storage capability, too. Thicker bags also
help prevent freezer burn.

In general, up to 9 months in a ziploc bag in an ordinary freezer, and 14
months in a deep freeze in a vacuum packed bag. After that, they peas
won't make you sick; they just won't taste as good.

FoodSaver V2840 Advanced Design

This one is the least expensive of the Food Saver models that has all the
advamced features, like automatic bag detection and sealing, which makes it
faster and easier to seal. And yes, you can seal and freeze foods with
liquids (just freeze the unsealed bag in the freezer overnight, THEN seal
it!)

About $135

Features

Home vacuum-packaging system vacuums, seals, and shuts off
automatically

This is the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You'll never need anything else except jars & lids (and the jars are reusable)! There is also a simple kit with just the canner and rack, and a pressure canner, if you want to do vegetables (other than tomatoes). To see
more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!
Don't forget the Ball Blue Book!

Lids, Rings, Jars, mixes, pectin, etc.

Need lids, rings and replacement jars? Or pectin to make jam,
spaghetti sauce or salsa mix or pickle mixes? Get them all here, and
usually at lower prices than your local store!

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